Early Years (1945–1969)
Born in Plumstead, London on 24 August 1945, Ken Hensley grew up with music in his family and in his blood. He formed the dream of being a rock star at the age of 11, when he bribed his parents into buying him a guitar. From there, armed with not much more than sheer determination, he moved from step to step always looking for a way to advance his powerful ambitions. This was achieved through bands like The Gods, which went through several incarnations before recording two albums for EMI Records, and a stint in Toe Fat, before everything changed with the formation of Uriah Heep in 1970.
Uriah Heep (1970–1980)
Uriah Heep was the group in which all of Ken’s dreams came true and which changed his life forever and in many ways. As organist, songwriter and creative anchor of the classic line-up, he wrote much of the band’s defining material across albums like Demons and Wizards and The Magician’s Birthday, helping drive worldwide sales of more than 40 million records. Ken always insisted he was first and foremost a writer/composer/lyricist, and his enormous history of worldwide hit records is testimony to that. He left the band in 1980 to pursue his own path.
The Wilderness (1980–1999)
After leaving Heep, Ken spent several years in the United States, including a period as a member of Blackfoot and a long stretch in St. Louis where his Christian faith took on a central role in his life. He kept writing and recording, but stepped largely out of the rock spotlight before eventually moving to Spain at the end of the decade.
Spain & the Second Act (2000–2020)
After returning to Europe from the US, Ken began the climb back into rock & roll history, and in 2007 released the acclaimed rock opera Blood On The Highway. Steadily he grew back into the consciousness of his huge fan base and, either solo or with Live Fire, the live performances thrilled audiences from Norway to Russia and all points in between. With his classic autobiography When Too Many Dreams Come True printed in English, Russian and Bulgarian, the man who first made his mark in the 20th century was now clearly capturing the 21st.
In the summer of 2009, appearing as a special guest to Nazareth at an outdoor show in the Czech Republic, Ken met Steve Weltman. Ten days later he invited Steve to his home in Spain, and within forty-eight hours Ken had a manager. That partnership — manager, friend and collaborator — would frame the rest of his working life, from 2009 right through to 2020.
On September 3rd 2010, armed with a new recording contract, Ken and his band Live Fire went into the studio to record their first album together. The result was the May 2011 release of Faster, a CD that blends great classic rock songs and modern, youthful energy and technology — Ken’s 51st record. With a new CD of rare songs already mixed, 2012 saw the release of another stunning solo CD, Love & Other Mysteries, and the recording of a double live CD and DVD with Live Fire. It was also the 50th anniversary of his life on the road — “50 Years On The Job”.
In 2013, Cherry Red Records released a brilliant new Live Fire CD called Trouble, which embodied all the lyrical and musical power of Ken’s best efforts with Heep, transformed into a 21st century classic album. Live Fire merged some of these great tracks into their live shows as they stormed every market they visited. 2013 also saw a dramatic increase in the demand for Ken’s solo shows, and this momentum rolled right into 2014, with Live Fire making its first appearance in Russia, with two sold-out shows in Moscow and Kaluga. With tours in Ukraine, Crimea, Latvia and Russia, Ken continued to grow the audience for his solo shows, and The Legends continued with two memorable concerts on the November Rock Cruise. Teamed with Steve, they planned a great many projects for the years that followed.
Legacy
Ken Hensley passed away on 4 November 2020, at the age of 75, after a short illness. In April 2021, Cherry Red Records released My Book of Answers, the album he had completed shortly before his death, with lyrics by his Russian friend Vladimir Emelin. His final solo studio album, A Little Closer — recorded in the summer of 2019 and originally scheduled for release in 2021 — is still to come. His songs — Lady in Black, July Morning, Easy Livin’, The Wizard — remain staples of classic rock radio, and his influence on hard rock keyboard playing and songwriting is felt to this day. Ken Hensley is a rock & roll legend with no plans to stop.
Last updated: April 2026.